KURT BUSCH STARTING 13th IN SUNDAY’S BATTLE AT POCONO
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Looking For “Solid Run” In Sunday’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500-
LONG POND, Pa. (July 30, 2010) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch will start Sunday’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 from the 13th position after turning in a lap of 53.116 seconds (169.440 mph) in today’s qualifying session here at Pocono Raceway.
“We were just tight in practice and over-compensated a little bit, so we ended up on the loose side for our qualifying lap,” said Busch, who went out 30th in the qualifying order and managed to pick up considerably from his practice lap of 54.033 seconds (only 24th fastest). “We picked up a good amount of speed. We just didn’t quite have enough stability in the car to stand on the throttle hard. The car kind of drove me in qualifying today. Our race setup seems promising. We just need more laps tomorrow to really dial it in.”
Tony Stewart, out 24th in the order, clocked in with a lap of 52.511 seconds (171.393 mph) to claim the Coors Light Pole for Sunday’s race. Juan Pablo Montoya will start on the outside pole after turning in a lap of 52.602 seconds (171.096 mph). Denny Hamlin (52.826 seconds/170.371 mph) starts third, with Jeff Gordon (52.872 seconds/170.222 mph) fourth and Ryan Newman (52.961 seconds/169.936 mph) fifth. Jimmie Johnson, A.J. Allmendinger, Jeff Burton, Jamie McMurray and Mark Martin rounded out today’s top-10 qualifiers.
Brad Keselowski led the three-driver Penske Racing contingent here in qualifying today with his 11th-fastest lap of 53.084 seconds (169.543 mph). Sam Hornish Jr. (53.216 seconds/169.122 mph) will start from the 15th spot here on Sunday.
“We’re looking for a good solid run here on Sunday,” offered crew chief Steve Addington. “Kurt and the guys did a great job in picking up speed here today. We’ll work to get our Miller Lite Dodge really dialed in tomorrow during the two practice sessions. We hope to have the ‘Blue Deuce’ running up front here on Sunday.”
Saturday’s schedule here at Pocono Raceway calls for practice from 9:00 a.m. till 9:50 a.m. (live on Speed-TV) and from 11:20 a.m. till 12:20 p.m. (live on Speed-TV). Sunday’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 (200 laps, 500 miles) on the “Tricky Triangle” is scheduled to get the green flag at approximately 1:00 p.m. Race No. 21 of 36 points-paying events on the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule will feature live coverage by ESPN-TV and MRN Radio.
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Driver Kurt Busch, crew chief Steve Addington and the “Blue Deuce” crew are racing their “PRS-712” Miller Lite “Vortex” Dodge this weekend at Pocono. The team debuted the car at Dover in the May 16 Autism Speaks 400 at Dover, Del., where Busch started 12th and finished 19th. This weekend’s Pocono battle will be its second race. “After the Dover race, we took the car back to the shop and completely revamped it from bumper to bumper for this weekend,” offered team engineer Dave Winston. The backup car for this weekend is the “PRS-715” Dodge, the car Busch named “Charger” after winning the March race with it in its debut.
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Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch will be meeting fans and signing autographs at Shenanigans of Lake Harmony on Friday from 7:30 p.m. till 8:30 p.m. This is a really hopping place and was the site for many of Rusty Wallace’s Pocono post-victory parties. Shenanigans is located at 100 South Lake Drive in Lake Harmony. For additional information, please call (570) 722-1100 or visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Gn1A4meowQ
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KURT BUSCH: “WE NEED TO BE GOOD INSTEAD OF LUCKY” AT POCONO
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Hopes For “Stronger All-Around Performance” In Sunday’s Return To Pocono-
LONG POND, Pa. (July 27, 2010) – The record book shows that Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch started fourth and finished sixth in the June 6 Gillette Fusion 500 at Pocono Raceway. The 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion and 22-race winner is quick to point out that looking at just the numbers can be quite deceiving.
“I know that looks pretty good on paper when you look back and see that we finished sixth at Pocono when we raced there last back in June,” offered Busch, a two-time winner on the “Tricky Triangle” in 19 prior races entering this weekend’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500. “But some times the figures aren’t very representative of what actually went down. That was certainly the case for our Miller Lite Dodge in the June race at Pocono.
“The truth is that we really struggled there in the first race and we were super fortunate to come out of there with that sixth-place finish,” said Busch, now fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings and only two points out of third. “We didn’t run good enough to deserve that finish. We missed the setup big-time; it was one of those days when it wasn’t pretty. But I’m fine with taking it, though, because most of the time it’s a case of us running better than the figures show.
KURT BUSCH FINISHES 10th IN BRICKYARD 400 AT INDIANAPOLIS
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Pulls Out Best Indy Finish Since 2004; Expands Chase Buffer To 274 Points-
INDIANAPOLIS (July 25, 2010) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch appeared to be headed toward his second career Brickyard 400 top-five finish in today’s battle here at Indianapolis Motor Speedway before getting the nose of his Dodge Charger damaged on a restart with 19 laps to go. Busch fell to 15th, but his Steve Addington-led “Blue Deuce” team regrouped during the final stretch, using two-tire strategy on their final pit stop. That allowed Busch to post his first top-10 finish here since his 2004 championship season and his 12th top-10 tally of the 2010 Sprint Cup season.
"We really had to grin and bear that one,” Busch said after climbing from his car back in the garage. “The car was good early on and we came up through the pack. We got some damage on one of the restarts (second to last). These double-file restarts are tough. I didn’t know how bad the damage was. We might have finished better, but under the circumstances, that’s all we had today. Two tires was the way to go, but somebody apparently checked up in Turn 1 and I got into the car in front of me and got hit from behind. They were square hits to the front and back, but there was enough damage that I couldn’t be aggressive at the end. The car wasn’t handling. We’ll take it. All we had at the end was a 10th.That’s probably the hardest 10th we’ve had all year,”
Busch started today’s race from the 14th position and immediately pointed to a severe tight handling condition. When Kyle Busch got loose out of Turn 3 to trigger a multi-car incident and bring out the first yellow flag on the first lap, Addington made a smart move in bringing his driver to pit road. Wholesale changes, including air pressure and track bar adjustments and the removal of a spring rubber, proved to pay immediate dividends.
Although Busch was 27th on the restart, he escaped the tire problems and overheating problems that hampered many of the teams in the early laps and had climbed to 19th on Lap 13. When Robby Gordon shredded a tire on Lap 14, the second yellow flag of the race was displayed. After the restart, Busch made steady progress moving up through the field. When a round of green-flag pit stops cycled through, Busch was up to 11th and he was up to eighth on the Lap 69 restart after the third caution period of the race.
KURT BUSCH TOP-12 PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
(Courtesy of Dodge Motorsports PR)
KURT BUSCH (No. 2 Miller Lite Vortex Dodge Charger)
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DECREASE IN ATTENDANCE AND TELEVISION RATINGS IN NASCAR? “I think that the race tracks saw a big boom in the mid 80’s and 90’s and started to build grandstands and built the tracks up so big that it’s not a full capacity right now. There are still big grandstand packages that they’re putting together…over 100,000 fans at most of our events is something that really can’t be done at any at any other sport.”
DO YOU THINK THAT IT’S CYCLICAL? “It depends on a lot of different figures and numbers. I think that there’s always cycles at any sport. Whether it’s the economy, action on the track, or the way that the cars look, there’s always things to look at and improve on because we want to be sold out at every of our events.”
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE KESELOWSKI-EDWARDS INCIDENT LAST WEEKEND AT GATEWAY? “I think the way that it has played out is that you have someone who is four or five years into the sport and a new guy. Carl has raced a lot in the Nationwide Series and some of his tendencies are Nationwide-type things. I see that a lot of the time when he races on the Cup side. He’s doing some Nationwide things and until he decides that Cup is where he wants to be, maybe that’s how he’ll drive.”
ARE THERE ANY CONCERNS THAT WHAT HAPPENED AT GATEWAY MAY CARRY OVER TO THE CUP SIDE OF RACES? “I don’t think that they’ll do anything here at Indy or at the next few races; they’re on probation. It’s tough for Brad to be on probation. He really was the innocent guy in this whole deal. He’s the new guy and when you’re the new guy…I’ve been that guy many of times…you’re sitting there saying, ‘What did I do wrong?’ It really teaches you a lot about how to develop into the sport and to become a better driver. Ultimately, when NASCAR is trying to tell you something, you have to listen.”
WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO GIVE ROGER A CUP WIN HERE AT INDY? “It would be the ultimate victory. We did something very special earlier this year by winning the Coca-Cola 600 and protecting it not just from the Ganassi guys, but delivering the first one for Roger…a race that he’d never won before. It’s a very prestigious race. We’re pushing hard. Sometimes those guys on the Indy side rub it in a little bit to our stock car guys that they have 15 (Indy 500) wins and we don’t have any here at the Brickyard. It would be huge if we could pull it off.”
YOU, JIMMIE (JOHNSON) AND TONY (STEWART) ALL RACED EACH OTHER HARD AND CLEAN AT LOUDON LAST MONTH. HOW CAN YOU GUYS CAN ‘HAVE AT IT’ AND SOME CAN’T? “(That race) was fun and it was something that if you treat somebody one way, you hope that you get treated the same way back. That’s not what happened at Gateway. You want to pass everybody clean. Sometimes when your car isn’t at its best and you see a shot at victory but you know that you really can’t win, you go for a little bump and run. When you’re the leader and somebody catches you, you’re not doing a good enough job staying ahead of that guy. It comes down to racing someone with respect.”
BUT YOU GUYS GOT OUT OF THE CAR AFTER LOUDON AND NOBODY HAD ISSUES WITH EACH OTHER? “Like at Sonoma when Jeff Gordon had a bad day, that was pretty rough with the amount of guys that he ran into. You don’t normally see that out of Jeff, but there’s sometimes that you bump and move somebody out of the way. Bumping someone deliberately or when you just go over the edge and someone spins, that’s when you have the issue.”
HAS THE ‘HAVE AT IT BOYS’ MANTRA MADE YOU RE-EVALUATE HOW YOU RACE CERTAIN GUYS? “What’s it’s done is that there are different stages of the race where you have double-file restarts all throughout the race and it’s like now you have a fourth-quarter atmosphere. You get through the first half of the race and you race different guys the same way, same guys different ways. The fourth-quarter just seems when all the action breaks out.”
IS THERE AN INCIDENT WHERE A WIN SHOULD BE TAKEN AWAY? “I’ve seen it happen in Late Model racing, Saturday night short-track type of stuff. It’s a tough call. When you different things from the booth as an official…when you see different things from the car as a driver, you can interpret it 100 different ways. When two guys consistently run into on another it makes for great film. ‘Days of Thunder’ was made on two guys wrecking each other on the beach together. It can turn into a lot of different things. It’s tough to take a win away, but I’ve seen it happen.”
HOW COMFORTABLE ARE YOU WITH KNOWING WHERE “THE LINE” IS? “I’d say that I’m very comfortable in understanding (where the line is) and where NASCAR’s line is. Are they the same? Yes. I would race somebody as hard as I would race them as long as I get raced the same way back. When somebody steps over the line there has to be a thought that goes quickly through your mind of, ‘Are you going to retaliate or are you going to pass them back clean’? It just depends on how things happen. Ultimately it comes down to that Christian line of ‘treat others like you want to be treated.’
IS NASCAR’S DEFINITION THAT IT’S OK TO BUMP SOMEONE A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT IF CONTINUES, THAT’S WHERE THERE IS A PROBLEM? “Absolutely. Bump and run is a product of good racing that you see everywhere. That’s what all of us grew up with. As far as Saturday night short-track racing, the Truck Series, Nationwide and Cup, that’s a good product of good hard racing.”
KURT BUSCH EYEING BIG PICTURE SCENARIOS ENTERING BRICKYARD 400
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Understands How Significant Indy NASCAR Win Would Be For Penske Racing-
INDIANAPOLIS (July 20, 2010) – For Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch, there are the “big picture” and even the “bigger picture” scenarios entering this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series return to the history-rich Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While Busch and his Steve Addington-led “blue deuce” team are focused on continuing to do what it takes to make the 12-team Chase roster after 26 races, they also realize how significant an Indy NASCAR victory would be for Penske Racing.
“It’s important that we come back in there after the off week and get back in stride toward making the Chase field,” said Busch, currently ranked fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings, trailing leader Kevin Harvick by 221 points, but enjoying a 253-point “buffer” over 13th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. “I guess you could even say that considering our performance at Chicagoland in the last race (started 22nd and finished 26th on July 10) that after two off weekends we’re coming in there looking to steer our ship on course.
“As far as the ‘race for the Chase’ goes, we’re definitely hoping to be competitive at Indy, build a little more on our confidence level and pad our ‘comfort zone,’” Busch said of his position in the points. “I told them before the Chicagoland race that we were pretty comfortable where we were at the time (was fourth in standings with a 308-point advantage over 13th), but that poor finish at Chicago put a dent in that margin.
“With seven races to go before the Chase kicks in, we’re hoping to survive and prosper this weekend at Indy,” said Busch. “Then we have Pocono, Watkins Glen and Michigan. We need to run consistently strong enough in those races to have enough of a lead where we can really go on the offensive trying to win races and pick up bonus points heading into the Chase. I really feel like we can run really strong in the races before the Chase starts – the races back at Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond – and if we can pick up a win or two at those tracks, that would be 30 or 40 bonus points that would come along with us into the Chase.”
Busch said that the impact of winning this weekend’s race at the Brickyard would be immeasurable, especially considering that he drives the Miller Lite Dodge for car owner Roger Penske.
KURT BUSCH WINS COKE 600 AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Dominates, But Has To Hold Off Ganassi’s McMurray At End Of Race-
CONCORD, N.C. (May 30, 2010) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington-led Penske Racing “Blue Deuce” Team posted a dominating win in tonight’s Coca-Cola 600 here at Charlotte Motor Speedway, leading 12 times for a total of 252 of the 400 laps. The battle for the win wasn’t as easy as those statistics sound, however, as Busch had to hold off a charge by Jamie McMurray, driver for the Chip Ganassi-owned team that had just celebrated a victory in the Indianapolis 500 only hours earlier. Busch had to count on a late-race caution and excellent work in the pits by his crew to pick up the 22nd victory of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career and the first win in the prestigious 600-miler for Penske Racing.
“It’s unbelievable how much this is a team effort,” said Busch, who not only recorded his first win in the 600, but also his first-ever top-five and top-10 finish in the series’ longest race. “I get the spoil job of driving an awesome Miller Lite Dodge like this. This is a great team. Everybody pulls the rope in the same direction. It’s unbelievable to have a car that would stick that good. This being Memorial Day, I thought about the troops all day long. To all the men and women that serve and protect our freedom, thank you. We’ll be celebrating on the lake tomorrow. Everybody should stop by their convenience store tomorrow and get these Miller Lite Vortex bottles, that’s what I’m talking about. And Tuesday, go buy a Dodge.
“Most important, Roger (Penske), this one was for you,” Busch said. “I thought about that Ganassi car behind me. He wasn’t going to get by. It’s unbelievable with this team. To have a car to run that well last Saturday night on the short runs and to have a car today to make the long runs was awesome. This team deserves it. It’s a special fete to win the All-Star race and the 600. It’s just a fantastic day for all of our employees, all of our associates and Miller Lite of course and for Dodge. With this Dodge program, we’re going strong.”
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KURT BUSCH COMES HOME THE WINNER IN SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Bounces Back From Contact With Wall To Pull Out Impressive Team Win-
CONCORD, N.C. (May 22, 2010) – The NASCAR record book will show that Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch piloted his special “Vortex Bottle” edition of the famous “Blue Deuce” from the pole position to the win in tonight’s Sprint All-Star Race here at Charlotte Motor Speedway. But there is absolutely no way it could begin to tell the drama that unfolded here tonight as the 2004 champ and his Steve Addington-led team bounced back from near disaster to post the impressive victory.
“It's an unbelievable experience,” Busch said of claiming the special high-dollar and non-points race. “It's something that you sit there and you look at the greats that have won this race, the ones that have had so many years go by in between the wins, just to have an opportunity to go for it tonight, I felt like our Penske Dodge was right where it needed to be at the end. But it also started there. I felt like starting on the pole, having track position early on gave us a good indication on what we should expect for the evening, on how we had to adjust on the car and keep it up front.”
Busch started from the pole in tonight’s 100-lap, four-segment battle due to qualifying getting rained out last night. Yet he was able to show so much strength in the first 50-lap segment that he proved to have a car very capable of winning. In the early going, Jimmie Johnson was able to get by and control the lead, but Busch drove a steady wheel and maintained the second spot until the mandatory pit stop on Lap 25.
BRAD KESELOWSKI TO PILOT BLUE DEUCE STARTING IN 2011
Miller Lite Inks Multi-Year Deal, Extends 20-Year Partnership with Penske Racing
CHICAGO (April 21, 2010) – The tradition of great drivers in Penske Racing’s No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge will continue as Brad Keselowski takes the wheel of the Blue Deuce beginning in 2011. The 26-year-old Keselowski is currently in his first full year on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving the No. 12 Penske Dodge.
“Brad is one of the hottest young drivers in NASCAR and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the Miller Lite Racing family,” said Andy England, chief marketing officer at MillerCoors. “Rarely in this sport are you presented with the opportunity to build a relationship with a top-tier driver at the start of his career. We look forward to ‘tasting greatness’ with Brad and Penske Racing in the years ahead.”
Keselowski finished third in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings in 2008 and 2009 and was voted by the fans as the most popular driver on the circuit both seasons. This year, he sits second in the Nationwide Series point standings, with six top-10 finishes in seven races. He recorded his first Sprint Cup victory last spring at Talladega.
“We’re extremely proud of our long-standing partnership with MillerCoors and are excited to extend this successful relationship,” said Roger Penske. “Brad is a tremendous talent with a bright future and I look forward to watching him continue the great tradition of the Blue Deuce.”
For Keselowski, a third-generation driver, the move to the Miller Lite Dodge is a milestone moment.
“To follow champions like Rusty Wallace and Kurt Busch in the legendary Blue Deuce is a dream come true,” Keselowski said. “The Miller Lite Racing team is accustomed to winning on and off the track, and I can’t wait to do my part to build on that tradition.”
Busch, currently ninth in the Sprint Cup standings, will continue to chase the Cup championship in the Miller Lite Dodge throughout the 2010 season. He then moves to Penske Racing’s newly formed No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Dodge in 2011.
“Kurt is a champion, a great driver and has been an enthusiastic ambassador for Miller Lite over the past four years,” England said. “We want to thank him for that, and we look forward to chasing the 2010 Sprint Cup championship with Kurt and the whole team at Penske Racing.”
About MillerCoors
Built on a foundation of great beer brands and more than 288 years of brewing heritage, MillerCoors continues the commitment of its founders to brew the highest quality beers. MillerCoors is the second largest beer company in America, capturing nearly 30 percent of U.S. beer sales. Led by two of the best-selling beers in the industry, MillerCoors has a broad portfolio of highly complementary brands across every major industry segment. Miller Lite is the great tasting beer that established the American light beer category in 1975, and Coors Light is the brand that introduced consumers to refreshment as cold as the Rockies. MGD 64 completes the company’s premium light beer portfolio, offering consumers fresh, crisp taste at just 64 calories. MillerCoors brews premium beers Coors Banquet and Miller Genuine Draft; and economy brands Miller High Life and Keystone Light. The company also imports Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch and Molson Canadian and offers innovative products such as Miller Chill and Sparks. MillerCoors features craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Company, Blue Moon Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company. MillerCoors operates eight major breweries in the U.S., as well as the Leinenkugel’s craft brewery in Chippewa Falls, WI and two microbreweries, the 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee and the Blue Moon Brewing Company at Coors Field in Denver. MillerCoors vision is to create America’s best beer company by driving profitable industry growth. MillerCoors insists on building its brands the right way through brewing quality, responsible marketing and environmental and community impact. MillerCoors is a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company.
About Penske Racing
Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in sports history. In 2010, Penske Racing competes in the NASCAR Cup Series with former Cup Series champion Kurt Busch and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, former three-time IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish Jr. in the No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge and Brad Keselowski in the No. 12 Penske Dodge. The team also races in the Nationwide Series with Justin Allgaier, the 2009 series Rookie of the Year, in the No. 12 Verizon Dodge and multiple race-winner Keselowski driving the No. 22 Discount Tire and Ruby Tuesday Dodge. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced more than 315 major race wins, over 370 pole positions and 22 national championships. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.
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2010 Miller Lite dodge TEAM LINEUP & HOMETOWNS
Some lucky fan will soon be driving a brand new Dodge Challenger after Kurt Busch won the March 7 Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (winner to be identified later this week). Sponsor Miller Lite announced their “When Kurt Wins, You Win” retail promotion last week, giving fans who purchase specially-marked packages of Miller Lite and enter the UPC code at http://millerlite.com/racing/ the chance to win a new car or other great prizes. Legal-drinking-age racing fans can enter their official UPC entry code and register for the promotion online now through November 20, 2010. Look for specially marked 12-, 18- and 30-packs of Miller Lite or go to MillerLite.com/racing for more details. “So there’s the first winner for the season,” Busch said. “I told all my friends at Miller that I wanted to win at least a six-pack of new Dodge Challengers. That would represent at least six wins this season and I think our Steve Addington-led team is capable of that. The more Challengers we give away, the more successful our season will be…”
KURT BUSCH SCORES HUGE KOBALT TOOLS VICTORY AT ATLANTA
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Posts Third Career AMS Win; Climbs To 10th In Sprint Cup Points-
HAMPTON, Ga. (March 7, 2010) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch claimed his 21st career NASCAR Sprint Cup victory in this afternoon’s Kobalt Tools 500 here at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was his third 
career win here at AMS and his second consecutive victory in this race. The huge win came in only the fourth race with veteran crew chief Steve Addington calling the shots from atop Busch’s pit box.
"With Steve Addington, all of his new ideas, I never knew how we could mesh them together and how soon we were able to do it,” said Busch, who climbed to 10th in the Sprint Cup point standings as the series heads into an off weekend, but not for the 2004 champion who will compete in next weekend’s Gator Nationals NHRA competition in Gainesville, Fla. "Even on those restarts at the end, I just felt like we had the car to beat.
“It was a great battle for us,” said Busch of the monumental win for him personally as it extended his winning streak to nine consecutive seasons. “Our Miller Lite Dodge was set up for being a utility-type car. What I mean by that is it was good on long runs, good in the middle runs and good on the short runs. We weren't excellent in any area, but good overall with the different stints you have to run on tires. Then sometimes, there are cautions and you stay out on old tires. The car reacted well on those. That's what it takes…a well-rounded car. I felt like this year's battle was much tougher with the competition than last year. But it's just because the tires change a little bit, aerodynamics change a little bit.
“But I'll tell you one thing that changed, and it changed for the better, is the guy sitting to my right. Steve Addington has taught me how to drive cars different, how to look at them differently. When you want to get up on the wheel for somebody like Steve, good things happen. I'm happy to bring it home for Steve, this team. A win for Dodge early in the year means a lot to us, means a lot to the people up in Detroit.”
Today’s race, which was originally scheduled to go 325 laps around this 1.54-mile track wound up going 16 laps into overtime as the fireworks certainly broke out at the end of this one. Busch looked to be holding off Juan Pablo Montoya near the end of the scheduled distance, but a wild crash by Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski sent the race into the first overtime. The No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge driver was running sixth when Carl Edwards crashed him on Lap 323, sending the red Dodge Charger flying and tumbling down the track. Fortunately, Keselowski was not hurt and Edwards was parked for the day for his rough driving tactics.
When that mess was cleaned up, Busch had taken four fresh Goodyear Tires under the yellow and had to clear three drivers who opted for only two tires. After making the pass for the lead, Busch appeared to be headed toward the win again, only to be denied when a nine-car pileup in Turn 3 brought out the 11th caution period of the race and set up a second attempt at the green-white-checkered finish.
Busch got a great restart when the race returned to green on Lap 339 and went on to finish .482 seconds ahead of runner-up Matt Kenseth. Montoya finished third, with Kasey Kahne fourth and Paul Menard fifth. A.J. Allmendinger, Brian Vickers, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick and Scott Speed rounded out today’s top-10 finishers. Penske Racing teammate Sam Hornish Jr. ran in the top 10 for much of the race, but engine problems relegated him to a 28th-place finish. Keselowski was credited with a 36th-place finish.
“It feels awesome to get that first win at Atlanta,” Addington said. “This is the site of my first Cup win. To come back here and put this together, this was a team effort. It all started on Friday with the feedback from Kurt. You know, he told us, you know, we’ve got to work on this thing. If we're going to win, we got to work on this. We made a lot of adjustments. We hit on some stuff on Saturday. He was happy with it. We kind of messed around there. It was just like, hey, let's go back here, we're not that far off on the second run from Happy Hour. Let’s adjust from there. That's what we did. And we felt confident going in. I slept good last night, you know. That was a different feeling than I've had in a long time, to be able to go in and rest because I felt confident that I had the feedback I needed to go out and win this race with Kurt Busch.
“I think if I denied that, I would be lying,” Addington replied when asked if he felt like he’d accomplished some “unfinished business” with today’s big win. “You know, it feels good. It honestly feels good to be with this race team, with Kurt as the driver, and come back and win before the 18 car got a chance to win. That's a personal deal. There's nothing against that. I'm still great friends with Kyle and everything. But it's a good feeling. It's a relief in a certain way. It all comes back to the team. You know, I didn't win this race today. Kurt won this race with these guys on pit road, these guys that put this car together and worked on it through practice. This was a total team effort all weekend long.
“It's awesome. You know, and the thing that really I feel good about was when all that went down, I mean, I'm at a point, let's move on past that,” Addington added when pressed again about moving from being the crew for one Busch Brother to the other. “But this guy right here, he's the first one that called, you know. So it's a good feeling to know that the driver wants you to come over here and go to work for him. That's the most satisfying thing, is to get him to Victory Lane. I hope we do it many more times together here this year.
“You know, I mean, I think that we can,” continued Addington. “He's been awesome to work with. Great feedback. The thing that I enjoy about it is, we can sit in that lounge three hours after practice, and he finally looked through all the stuff, go over with us, he'll go, ‘all right, what do you want to do now?’ It's like we talk about a lot of stuff. It’s good to have somebody sitting in there. You know, we don't have to say a lot. We're all looking through the information together, looking at what we did, looking back at runs. It's very satisfying to be working with Kurt right now. I'm looking forward to it. I think that great things can happen with this race team. To answer your question, like I said earlier, to come back here, this is the place that I won my first race as a Cup crew chief, and it just happened to be with his brother. That was very special. That was very big. But to be with a new organization, to have the relationship that I've already built in a short period of time with Kurt and this race team, this one's pretty damn special. To put it on a measuring stick, I can't, because I feel pretty damn good right now.”
After four races have now been placed into the 2010, Busch’s win here today shot him up nine spots in the Sprint Cup point standings to 10th. With 502 points, he trails leader Harvick by 142 points. He is 56 behind fifth-place Clint Bowyer and three points behind ninth-place Menard. Hornish is 31st in the standings with 325 points and Keselowski is 33rd with 295 points.
“I feel like we've been a ping pong ball in the points standings so far this year with Daytona, we were 23rd, bumped up to ninth after California, back to 19th after Vegas, and then shooting back up there like we did here today,” said Busch, who led today’s race six times for a total of 129 laps. “We need to have some more consistency. But we've had some off the wall things happen to us. It's a good gauge, yeah. We’ve been competitive three out of the four races so far this year, and the race we weren't as competitive as the others was our best finish until today. So that's what a championship-caliber team does.”
The Sprint Cup tour now takes a weekend off before heading to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 500, the first short-track battle of the schedule, set for Sunday, March 21.
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Last Thursday night’s Second Annual Sprint for the Kids benefitting the Kurt Busch Foundation at Pole Position Raceway in Vegas was a huge success and Busch is very appreciative for the great support the event received. “We had a very positive and successful fundraiser and over $30,000 was raised between the 12 teams that showed up to compete. We had quality Cup drivers. We had quality Nationwide drives volunteer their time and bring in some of their crew members. And then we had sponsors send some of their executives and employees to join in on the fun, but all for a good cause – the Kurt Busch Foundation – benefitting children in sports through teaching and education programs around the country. It was just everybody competing hard and going for the win. A guy like (Juan Pablo) Montoya was there…elbow’s up…(Martin) Truex, (Brad) Keselowski, Sam Hornish Jr. and Kelly Bires. The special part of my team was that we had a couple kids from go-karts and late models from the local area trying to build their name up. I know that I was given a great opportunity by the guy that owns Star Nursery (Star Nursery owner Craig Keough of Las Vegas) years ago. Sometimes it just takes key hits and getting your name mentioned. Like I said, everyone had fun and we raised a lot of money for a good cause and I wanted to send along a special thanks to everyone involved.
WHEN KURT BUSCH WINS, MILLER LITE WILL GIVE AWAY A DODGE CHALLENGER
Promotion Will Award One Lucky Fan a New Car Every Time the Blue Deuce Visits Victory Lane
CHICAGO (February 11, 2010) – Race fans now have one more reason to cheer Kurt Busch and his Miller Lite Dodge into Victory Lane – every time Kurt wins during the 2010 season, one lucky fan will drive away in a 2010 Dodge Challenger. As part of the Miller Lite “When Kurt Wins, You Win” retail promotion, fans who purchase specially-marked packages of Miller Lite and enter the UPC code at MillerLite.com/racing will have the chance to win a new car or other great prizes.
“With eight consecutive winning seasons under his belt, Kurt is a proven winner, so fans better register as early and often as possible,” said Grant Leech, Miller Lite vice president of marketing. “Between Kurt’s impressive fourth-place finish last year and the addition of new crew chief Steve Addington, we’re hoping to give away at least a six-pack of cars and ‘taste greatness’ all season long.”
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In case you missed it…Miller Lite Dodge crew chief Steve Addington is a weekly guest on the popular radio program, “The Morning Drive” on Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 128. Hosted by veteran race announcer Mike Bagley and racing insider Pete Pistone, the daily show delves into the latest news and rumors, features interviews of prominent guests and takes calls from listeners. Steve’s weekly slot is scheduled for Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. ET. In case you missed last week’s show, you can follow this link to hear the interview:
If you wish to participate, please e-mail the guys at themorningdrive@sirius-radio.com or call 1-866-PIT-LANE (866-748-5263).
KURT BUSCH WINS EXCITING DICKIES 500 AT TEXAS
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Scores Bonuses For Fan And Operation Homefront; Now 4th In Points-
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KURT & WENDELL “WOW” THEM IN INDY
Miller Lite Dodge Driver Kurt Busch had some special assistance during last Friday night’s appearance at Chammp’s Americana in North Indianapolis, when Wendell, the Miller High Life delivery guy from TV commercial fame, showed up.
“What a cool guy,” Kurt said of Wendell Middlebrooks, the TV commercial star who has become a folk hero among Americans. “Wendell came driving up out front in the High Life delivery truck and everyone went nuts in the place. I’d met him briefly at the MillerCoors national sales convention a few months back, but this was the first time we’d done an on-premise appearance together.
“He’s such a likeable fellow and does such a great job in representing the Miller High Life brand,” Kurt continued. “The dude even brought me my own High Life delivery man’s shirt and I wore it to the track on Saturday. I’m thinking of something cool I can give him in return. We’ll hopefully have him visit us at some of the races before the year is over. We were already talking about doing some more bar appearances together and I hope that comes together.”
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Talladega 2009 Images
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Photos by TRPR
